Packaging design's primary function is protection and containment, but packaging is also a contributor to brand perception and functionality. For instance, in an electronics environment, improved brand perception may be achieved by reducing the amount of packaging required to ship an electronic system, such as an electronics rack, IT rack, compute rack, server rack, etc., which are herein referred to as an electronics rack. In addition, manufacturing environments, including at the packaging phase, continually strive towards optimal efficiency.
Conventionally, two or more separate container pieces may be used to cover an electronics rack for shipping. These pieces may include, for instance, a container sleeve wrapping around the rack, and a top cap. Having two separate pieces for each size rack increases inventory, and creates a greater chance for packaging assembly mistakes. Additionally, the top cap may require multiple people to assemble, and once assembled, the top cap conventionally overhangs the container sleeve, and may therefore be subject to damage in shipping.
Additionally, with current packaging, plastic clips may be employed to fasten together container sections to form the container sleeve about, for instance, the electronics rack. This is typically a manual process requiring, for instance, hole-alignment in the different container sections, as well as the purchase and assembly of the plastic clips. This results in wasted time gathering clips, aligning holes perfectly, and assembling the clips. Further, the use of separate plastic clips is not environmentally friendly.